1
as in moody
frequently influenced by moods and especially bad moods
one of those temperamental actresses who can make life difficult for everyone around her
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
stock prices have been pretty temperamental lately, often fluctuating wildly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of temperamental
Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending…even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots.
—
Jennifer Maas, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
The show is mostly known in the States for launching the career of Rachel McAdams, but it can’t be understated how incredible Goss, playing the festival’s temperamental artistic director, is in it, a fraying bundle of nerves and passion that threatens to collapse on himself at any moment.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
The temperamental Moon joins authoritative Saturn in your 9th House of Travel and Learning, urging you to balance bold opinions with realistic limits.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
Throughout the monthlong Rooster Prince shoot in Oklahoma, LaBeouf could be extremely temperamental, sources say.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for temperamental
Jennifer Maas, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
The show is mostly known in the States for launching the career of Rachel McAdams, but it can’t be understated how incredible Goss, playing the festival’s temperamental artistic director, is in it, a fraying bundle of nerves and passion that threatens to collapse on himself at any moment.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
The temperamental Moon joins authoritative Saturn in your 9th House of Travel and Learning, urging you to balance bold opinions with realistic limits.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
Throughout the monthlong Rooster Prince shoot in Oklahoma, LaBeouf could be extremely temperamental, sources say.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for temperamental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temperamental
Adjective
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Customers enter through the building’s rear, up a flight of stairs and through a red door, which spills out into a sumptuous, 2,000-square-foot lounge with low tin ceilings, moody lighting and a mammoth Buddha statue.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
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Rich, forest-green nail polish may reign supreme in the winter, but once spring arrives, the shade sheds its moody edge.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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One of the most challenging aspects of dealing with these beetles is that the feeding pests cause the affected plant to produce a volatile aromatic scent, which quickly attracts other beetles to the feast.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
1 Mar. 2026
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There might not be another team whose ebbs and flows have been so volatile this season.—
Kristian Winfield,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The dispensing of moral instruction is an often tiresome staple of child-friendly animation, but the lessons that Mabel must learn—to be less impulsive, less strident, and more willing to see the good in others—also turn out to be shrewd organizational and negotiating tactics.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
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The impulsive reaction to this data is a trap.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The book, George said, was years in the making, and was birthed out of a need to preserve history in a physical form at a time when social media is unpredictable.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
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But through sheer hustle on the glass and with a streaky catch-and-shoot jumper, Williams does bring an unpredictable dimension to a stagnant Warriors attack.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Before the war, some Arab interlocutors had been quietly lobbying the White House against such action, in part out of fear that a direct war against Iran would yield an even more unstable and chaotic status quo in Tehran.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
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This is also where Federations matter, especially when the world feels unstable.—
Audra Berg,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Temperamental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temperamental. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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